Chenille and method of making the same



July 8, 1930. SILVERMAN GHENILLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed June 21, 1929 M 8 W v V I w M A 4:11]! 6 fi I r MW, w

A 60 63/0 er/naz 5V W @4 y1 Psi-med July 8, 1930 UNITED sra'ras PATENT oar-ice LEO SILVEBMAN, OF ELKINS PARK; PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR TO 8. ROSENAU & 00., LNG, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,'A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND GHENILLE AND MlETHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Application filed June 21,

This invention relates to a method of pro ducing chenille and the novel product of such'method, the chenille differing from the ordinary type in that the short transverse filling strands are bound by stitches instead of twisted warp threads.

One object of the present invention is the production of a chenille which, while cheapor than the ordinary type, may be substituted therefore as a starting point in the pro duction of various fabrics, and which is superior to the ordinary chenille in that the filling threads are more firmly bound. A further object relates to an improved method of making such chenille which is inexpensive and adapted for the rapid production of large quantities thereof.

Further objects will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan-view illustrating one step in the production of the chenille;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the subject of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a view product;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic sectional view illustrating in detail the construction of the chenille; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the subject of Fig. 4.

The chenille is produced from a knitted fabric, which may be conveniently formed on a suitable knitting machine of the general type disclosed in the patent to Aaron, No. 781,387, dated Jan. 31, 1905, which type of machine is adapted to secure, by means of longitudinal lines of chain stitches formed by knitting needles, one or more filler threads laid along the line of needles by means of suitable thread fingers. In the present instance, a soft filler thread 2 composed of a large number of strands is secured by a number of spaced lines of stitches 4, the construction of which will be clear from Figs. 4 and 5. As shown in these figures, each line of stitches is composed of two threads, one of which, designated 6, is looped to form a single chain stitch, While illustrating the completed 1929. Serial No. 372,599.

the other, designated 8, is a binding thread interlocked with the thread 6. It will be noted that the chain stitches are alternately right handed and left handed, being so produced by alternately laying the thread about the knitting needle in opposite directions. Noting that the successive stitches as viewed in Figs. 4 and 5 proceed from right to left, it

' will be seen that the binding thread 8 passes rearwardly under the portion of thread 6 connecting one loop to a successive loop from that side of the first loop of which the said portion is a direct continuation. Sincethe binding thread is under tension, there is accordingly a tendency to displace the filling thread where it is bound by the stitches in a manner exaggeratedly illustrated in Fig. 5. It is found that this arrangement of the threads is most conducive to tightly holding the filling thread, after cutting, in the final product.

The first step in the process involves cutting the knitted fabric, which may be of any convenient width, between the lines of stitches. This may be readily accomplished by means of a set of upper and lower rotary blades 10 as shown in Fig. 2 whereby strands 12 are produced, each consisting of a single line of stitches carrying transverse tufts lying in the same plane. The end strands, resulting from the selvage edges of the material and in which the tufts do not extend from both sides of the lines of stitches, may be discarded.

The strands 12 are now twisted so as to cause the tufts to extend outwardly in all directions, and are then steamed to set or deaden the fibres in the positions attained during twisting so that the chenille will maintain the final appearance shown at 14 in Fig. 3 without a tendency to twist upon itself. Such steaming may be accomplished directly after twisting or the twisted strands may be wound on spools and stored and later steamed.

By reason of the manufacture as above described, which is very much simpler than the usual method of manufacturing chenille, not only is there produced a cheaper chenille, but a product in which the tufts are tightly held without the use of adhesive.

By the use of the above method, novel multicolored effects may be produced in the finished chenille since instead of one continuous filling thread 2, several difierently colored filling threads ma be introduced during the production of t e fabric in the well own and usual manner producing a fabric having transverse striipes so that the chenille e will have zones of di rent colors.

What I claim and desire to ters Patent is:--

1. Chenille comprising a plurality of tufts an?t a line of chain stitches securing said tu s one side of the tufts and strands extending over the other side of the tufts, and a binding thread winding between the strands and the tufts, said tufts extending outwardly in various directions.

2. Chenille comprising a plurality of tufts and a line of chain stitches securing said tufts,

protect by Letsaid chain stitches including loops on one side of the tufts and strands extending over the other side of the tufts, said chain stitches being alternately reversed in formation, and a binding thread winding between the strands and the tufts, said tufts extending outwardly in various directions.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on this 17th day of June, 1929.

- LEO SILVERMAN.

said chain stitches including loops on 

